


A Meeting With a Lost Soul

by Anatthema



Series: The Gods of Vlas-Kaj [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23580550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anatthema/pseuds/Anatthema
Summary: I am mortality given execution. I am the delicate balance which all life treds, the mewling infant newly given a breath and the elderly patient passing on. I am what counteracts the other as the performer walks on a tightrope across a pit of certain death. I am the springtime bloom and the winter’s fade. I am the slaughter and the prosper as the line between what is moral blurs. I am the black and white and all shades of grey in between. Through my ichor contains the lifeblood of every being in the world that can be created or taken away with one faded breath. All shall see that one cannot exist without the other as life and death are two halves of one whole.
Series: The Gods of Vlas-Kaj [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1544515
Kudos: 4





	A Meeting With a Lost Soul

Mortals came and went from this world. That was part of the natural order. Very few could evade death, and those who did were never any sort of good. This is what separated gods from mortals. With mortality, there was some sort of end. At least, this is what Vita-Nex thought. No one in this universe truly knew what was beyond death, and they were merely the link between the world of the living and the dead. Not even Adfectus, with the intellect and infinite knowledge spanning millennia knew the answer. And they wouldn’t be able to communicate it if they did. 

Vita-Nex didn’t exactly have the desire to find out what lay beyond death’s door either. They simply held the ability to guide lost souls to their purpose. Their infinite presence appeared to those who died. They spoke to each and every soul who moved on. Showing them the link to wherever they may go next. Even though they did not know where these links led, they had a sort of inherent ability to judge one’s character. They knew when they saw a soul, who that person was in life. They were not one to pass blame. Individuals may be what mortals considered “evil” or “good” but these concepts held no weight here. In death all mortals are equal. To a god, all mortals are equal. They may fight their endless wars, give power and worship other mortals they consider above them, and stomp on the weak. But in the end, did they not experience death the same?

There were few who tried to defy this. If there is a method, in all the time the planet has existed, why wouldn't one try to achieve escape from the ultimatum that governed all mortality. But those who achieved this rare goal, they were what Vita-Nex loathed. They hated with every fiber of their being, mortals who tried to escape the one thing that made them as such. It was unnatural, it defied the very laws of the universe. The very laws that they existed to keep in place. Good and evil, they were meaningless, yes. But in the end, the universe needed to maintain order. Without the gods, the world would not function. And a mortal trying to achieve what a god had, it was unthinkable. A mortal could not comprehend eons of existence. Why would they want to? They were not built for the perspective that immortality grants. 

Mortals who wanted immortality misunderstood the very laws their universe is held together by. The balance of life and death is crucial to maintaining the order of everything. Lean the scale one way and suddenly the entirety of the planet is under crisis. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Every mortal should meet their end to continue the betterment of the planet. 

It was unfortunate then, that the majority of Vita-nex’s followers misunderstood the very concept they operated on. There were two sects. One of life, one of death. Of course, there were their followers who truly did understand their teachings. However, they were far fewer than  
Vita-Nex would like. And those with distorted and twisted viewpoints run rampant. Vita-nex enjoyed greeting those souls at death’s gate. They took pleasure in telling their “devoted followers” that their short-sightedness had led to more harm than good. However, as required by their nature, they were not to get angry at these mortals. They were not to pass judgement. And most often with mortals, they would not. It was when mortals lived their lives disobeying the fundamentals of the universe that Vita-Nex truly had to try to remain non judgemental. 

However, they could not help but feel a sense of resentment towards those who did. Of course, they did not interfere with mortal life. Their time to speak was during those short moments where one is in between life and death. Other gods, maybe they would. Vita-Nex didn’t exactly care. That is what they were made to do. But Vita-Nex had their job. And they were to stick to that job. They would not break it to fix an issue that personally irritated them. But the zealots who cried for Vita or Nex when they ignored the other half, they were wrong in every way.

The Life Sect. They constantly campaigned for life egregiously. So much to the point where they would ignore actual issues, instead focussing on their pure goal of preserving life. Some of them practiced necromancy. They so fervently believed being alive was all that mattered, that they would mangle corpses of those who had already passed far beyond recognition into twisted puppets of their former lives. They would use them for their own gain and bring a twisted soul back from the dead, damming the soul who lived in that body to a half life. Yes, there were some magics that kept the soul intact, and Vita-Nex wasn’t exactly opposed to saving one whose life was cut too short, but the large variety of necromancy led to a soul who would have been better staying dead. Some of the most devoted members of the life sect looked further. They seeked to avoid death entirely. Some of the rarest magic in the world out there could be twisted and manipulated to create a paradox, an immortal mortal. Vita-Nex had seen these abominations before. They slowly went insane in their thirst to conquer death. Most decided to end their immortality as their perspective on the world grew warped from centuries of living. They called themselves worshippers of Vita. The almighty good. When truly, they sat upon a faith of lies.

And The Death Sect. They thirsted in their hunger for death. Some believed life was polluting the planet. That the ever-growing population needed to be culled in order to sustain itself. Others simply thirsted for blood. To rid the world of those not like themselves. Whatever the reason, they were bloodthirsty and cruel. The cults that formed around their “oh so great god of death” were built upon lies. Vita-Nex did not kill mortals. They did not wish for the death of mortals. And they certainly would not aid or give power to a death cult aiming to cull the weak out of society. They fumed at those who misused the name of Nex. Death was not for those who deserved it. While they may not escape death in the end, that did not mean unmonitored death helped in any way with the natural order. 

Still, they kept their cool. They would not take their wrath upon the lands, spreading calamity and destruction. Their counterpart, Churanak, would provide enough chaos for that. The other gods were interesting. Vita-Nex knew that they were doing their jobs, just like them, but they couldn’t help but be perplexed at their different ways of thinking. Yet, they all needed each other to do their jobs for this universe to function. And so, Vita-Nex did their job, simply as they were asked. It was necessary. And it never got tiring. Meeting the souls, it got them to interact with their people so intimately. Right before death, the final moment of life, where a person’s story and journey ended. They got to know these stories, and the people attached to them. 

They got to know mortals personally. And yet, they never fully understood their ways. They couldn’t. A god couldn’t fully grasp a mortal’s train of thought. Without a purpose or meaning in life, how could they? 

So they let themselves do their job. They were extremely busy. Even with an infinite presence, mortals died all the time. They never had a break or relief, though it wasn’t tiring in the way mortals would describe it. 

And so, once again their presence was summoned. A mortal on their deathbed. They appeared to them in their dying moments. They fluttered down on their wings, holding their scythe. They looked at the mortal. They were young. Their time had come too soon. It was always unfortunate when this happened. They could sense, this person had made mistakes in their life. Terrible mistakes. But this person felt regret. They looked up to Vita-Nex, and they spoke.

“You’re… here to judge me, aren’t you? You’re going to take me away and drag me to hell after what I’ve done. Just do it, take me. I don’t deserve to be shown mercy.”

“Odd, isn’t it. You assume what my purpose is before I tell you. Don’t worry, I’m not here to judge you. Or take you to any sort of hell. I don’t even have the knowledge to know if there is a hell. I don’t know of your destination, only your journey. I am the guide of lost souls, and you my friend, seem very lost indeed. Lost on your path to purpose and meaning. Perhaps if you speak to me I may be able to help you.”

“But you… you’re the angel of death, are you not? You gaze upon those who have sinned and pass judgement on them as you decide where they are condemned to for all eternity.”

“Misinformation runs rampant I see. I am not here to do any of the sort. I do not know where you will end up, nor anyone else in this universe. Not a single being from this universe does know, in fact.”

“But… I’ve done so much wrong. Surely you must hate me for what I’ve done if you know anything about my past.”

“But you feel guilt, do you not?”

“Of course, I’ve done horrible things. I’ve lied, I’ve betrayed people, I’ve stomped on those who truly needed my help the most, and who trusted me.”

“I’m not here to condemn what a mortal has done. I am the guide of lost souls. I am Vita-Nex. I am life and death itself, but nothing more. What you may or may not have done in life is meaningless to me. I serve merely as your final guide. I listen to your story, and I conclude it.”

“So you have no bias? No judgement? You really don’t care at all?”

“I have seen many more who are worse than you over the centuries. None of which I have said any more than you have. While your morality is meaningless to me, I have sensed over my time that the mortals who feel guilt over their actions have made infinite progress compared to those who do not recognize their mistakes. However, I am here to listen and to guide. Gods don’t care about morality. I am here to govern the forces of life and death, after all. Why would that sort of force care about anything more than the job it is to provide? Come, tell me about yourself, and I’ll guide you to your final chapter.”

“If… if you really won’t judge… I guess I will. If I’m dead, you might be the last being I speak to anyways, so it won’t get any worse, right?”

“Well then, speak to me. Tell me who you are, and I will guide you to your destination.”

And so, they spoke. They spoke as billions of mortals had done before. The universe had existed for a long time. And yet the job was never tiring. They each had their stories to tell. And Vita-Nex listened. Every single one, they would listen with intent and curiosity. But yet… They never understood. They had no time to think about what made mortals tick. There was always, and always would be an inherent separation between the two. Maybe some part of them longed to understand, but they had a job to do. And they would always have a job to do. After listening for some time, listening to the story the mortal had to tell, Vita-Nex spoke up.

“You have lived a life of two roads. You walk the path of both acceptance and wishing to repent. You feel guilt, yet no shame. You are a conflicted being. I hope that you may find what you search for as you pass on.”

“Is that not like you? You’re the god of life and death are you not? Two opposites, conflicting with each other, fighting for control.”

“You misrepresent me. I am not a god of confliction, of internal chaos and paradox. I hold the delicate balance of the laws of the very force that keeps this world in check. I am a god of harmony, of unification. You seem to have what the mortals have taught you about me in your head. You however, you seem to be entirely confused in your path.”

“Then why can the two not exist in harmony like yourself? You say us mortals are funny creatures, yet don’t recognize that within yourself. If I am so lost, then why can you not tell me how to find myself?”

“All souls are lost upon the winding path of mortality. Do you think one being on this planet holds the answers? Do you think I know, or anyone? You are fascinating, to say the least.”

“Well, then. Take me to the end. I’m ready. There’s not much more I can say. If souls are lost on the path of mortality, take me to the end of the road.”

“You show such courage, boldness. Many mortals are scared. They ask for comfort. I admire a soul who knows when the end is nigh. You don’t try to fight. So thank you. You have been truly interesting. Take my hand, and I will lead you to the end.”

And so they did. The mortal took Vita-Nex’s hand, and they flew away, towards the light. The mortal faded away, and on their face was a small smile. Vita-Nex felt pride. They had calmed the chaos within the soul, and they had found some semblance of peace. While they knew death was not always something a mortal could comprehend, they at least felt pride that they had done a job well done once again.


End file.
